Harry's Bar is one of the great historic bars of Europe, open since 1911 and claiming credit for inventing the Bloody Mary, the Sidecar, and the French 75. The low-ceilinged panelled interior — university pennants, dark wood, an American-style long bar — is exactly what it looks like in photographs, and that is the point.
The cocktails are expensive and expertly made. The barmen take them seriously. The clientele ranges from curious tourists to Opéra-quarter regulars. F. Scott Fitzgerald and George Gershwin were among the famous patrons; Gershwin supposedly wrote An American in Paris partly here.
The downstairs piano bar is livelier late at night. Compared to many Paris bars that trade on literary associations while delivering mediocrity, Harry's actually holds up: the drinks are good, the atmosphere is genuine, and it stays open until 4am when most of Paris has gone to bed.